Joseph Samuelson

International Baccalaureate History Teacher

Professional
Development Plan


The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring,
knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better
and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and
respect.


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents.. 2

Personal Mission Statement.. 3

My Philosophy.. 3

Description of School and Teaching, Administrative, or Pupil Services..4

Classroom and Personal Goals..5
Developing Goals as a Professional Educator
Developing Goals for My Classroom
Measurable Professional Goals

Rationale.. 7

Plan for Assessing and Documenting the Goals....... 7

Plan to Meet...8

Professional Development Plan Review... 9

References and Resources....... 10

Waterloo Schools Professional Development Plan..11





The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.

- Aristotle



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Personal Mission Statement

Provide students the skills to be caring, conscious, well-rounded individuals who are
knowledgeable, interested, and active in their community and enthusiastic to become lifelong
learners. Foster student personalities, talents, and interests to form competent and capable
citizens prepared and primed for achieving success in the highest of fashions for the present-
future and well beyond.

My Philosophy

My philosophy as an educator largely comes from the university where I received my training.
Black Hills State University is considered to be in the top 5% of the nation for teacher
preparation programs. From there I gained the knowledge and skill to institute a style of
educating which stresses cooperative and collaborative learning, called constructivism. It focuses
on student-centered curriculum rather than teacher-centered. It places direct responsibility for
learning on the student and forces them to learn how to find answers on their own. This approach
has been centered around the idea of scaffolding where the teacher only acts as a guide to help
students learn when they cannot on their own. The teacher works alongside the student rather
than in front of them. Students also work together and help each other gain knowledge making
themselves educators. It has long been known that when an individual teaches material, they
themselves learn it better. This also builds the skill of learning to work with others which is very
important for the interaction and cooperation with others in the future (friends, family, spouses,
co-workers, etc.) It is also my goal to help students become life-long learners and give them the
tools necessary to do so.





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Description of School and Teaching, Administrative, or Pupil Services Situation

Demographic and socioeconomic information for Waterloo, Iowa includes the following
statistics:

Population in 2012: 68,297 (97% urban, 3% rural). Population change since 2000: -0.7%

Estimated median household income in 2011: $36,127 (it was $34,092 in 2000)
- Waterloo: $36, 127
- Iowa: $49,427

Estimated per capita income in 2011: $19,490

Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $100,700 (it was $63,800 in 2000)

- Waterloo: $100,700
- Iowa: $123,400


*Waterloo, Iowa. (n.d.). City-Data. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from http://www.city-data.com/city/Waterloo-
Iowa.html










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Demographic information and a school Report Card for Waterloo East High School:



Student to Teacher Ratio: 15.19
Total number of students: 1046
Total number of teachers: 68.89


Socioeconomic statistics:
Free lunch eligible: 579
Reduced lunch eligible: 114
66% Free/Reduced lunch

* East High School. (n.d.). National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from
http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/sch_info_popup.asp?Type=Public&ID=193048001714


Classroom and Personal Goals

My developing goals shape everything I will do as a teacher. They are my DNA as a teacher and
are not measurable as they are elements of my philosophy which shape more specific aspirations
to be accomplished. My learning outcomes are based on them and they are my primary focus of
each lesson.

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Developing Goals as a Professional Educator
A. Maintain pursuit as a life-long learner to develop both personally and professionally.
B. Always use strategies which focus on a student-first approach rather than teacher
centered.

C. Build positive relationships with colleagues and co-workers to create an inviting
environment to promote and encourage learning.

D. Be quick and passionate about seeking wisdom or advice from experienced and
knowledgeable professional educators.

E. Expect and demand the very best from my students at all times.
F. Be actively involved in the community and show concern and appreciation for it.
G. Build positive relationships with students and parents to promote a trusting and safe
environment for learning.

H. Instill self-discipline in students.
I. Find value in learning from all situations to mature as a teacher, person, and professional.
J. Stress the importance of learning socially and cooperatively, as a cohesive group.
Developing Goals for My Classroom
A. Become independent learners capable of being self-taught.
B. Develop an interest in society locally, nationally, and globally.
C. Be able to make connections between the past, present, and the future.
D. Become critical thinkers, experienced in the abilities to think for oneself and evaluate the
correlation between situations.

E. Advance in the skill of a strong writer, adept in expressing thoughts in an organized
fashion on a page.

F. Understand the importance of learning and its ability to aid in the advancement of
persons.

G. Cultivate skills important in education and the workforce.


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H. Learn to work with others in small groups to develop ideas and hypotheses to further gain
knowledge collectively as a team.

I. Learn to listen and understand two opposing views, break them down, and form an
opinion for oneself.

J. Collaborate with other students to challenge each others thought processes and build a
strong concrete argument for beliefs.

K. Come away with a set of beliefs having been tested, challenged, and changed to become
an individual.

L. Learn to ENJOY learning!

Measurable Professional Goals for Myself
1) Complete Year 2 of Mentoring/Obtain Standard Iowa License
2) Increase educational knowledge in administration by completing classes at Chadron
State College.
3) Take progressive steps to increase understanding of IB standards and assessments.

Rationale
1) Completing mentorship is necessary for me to continue my career as a teacher and renew
my teaching license. If I want to continue teaching, this is a must and thus is a priority.
2) It is also a goal of mine to be an administrator and completing a masters degree in
administration is necessary. These classes will also help me further develop as a teacher
and professional.
3) Finally, since International Baccalaureate is new to the district and myself, I will need
further training to develop and carry through the curriculum. I need to understand better
what my students will need to know and the best way to help them learn it.

Plan for Assessing and Documenting the Goals
How will I know if I have successfully completed my goals?
1) I will successfully complete year two of mentoring and obtain my standard Iowa license.
Plan for completion:
Enroll in year two of mentoring.
Meeting with mentoring coordinator.
Schedule observations by Mr. Pace.
Schedule 3 observations of teachers each semester.

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Schedule observations of myself each month from mentor teachers.
Attend mentoring classes.
Collect artifacts for evaluation.
Meet with Al Pace for final evaluation.
2) I will complete 12 credits by next school year and continue working toward my masters.
Plan for completion:
Enroll in Fundamentals of School Administration for the 2014 Fall
Semester.
Enroll in Public Relations & Program Development,
Implementation, and Management for the 2015 Spring Semester.
Organize time to complete the courses.
Communicate closely with professors and advisor to ensure
success.
3) I will successfully complete Category 2 International Baccalaureate training.
Plan for completion:
Attend all IB meetings.
Work cooperatively with IB Coordinator to ensure success.
Work with IB Coordinator to schedule Category 2 IB training.
Attending IB Category 2 training and all its classes to successfully
complete.

Plan to Meet

Working with other professionals will be absolutely imperative for the success of all of my goals.
Especially those goals involving mentoring and International Baccalaureate. Meetings will take
place throughout the year, but will also need to take place at the end of the school year with a
number of individuals so I can discuss and share my progress as well as get feedback.

1) Al Pace- Evaluator
2) Sherice Ortman- IB Coordinator
3) Stephanie Giachino- Mentoring Coordinator
4) Nichole Schrage- Mentor Teacher










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Professional Development Plan Review

Compared to last years Professional Development Plan, I feel much better about this
one. I tried to use the framework developed by Danielson in his Handbook for Enhancing
Professional Practice Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School (2008). With each
section, I tried to apply what I learned.
Developing good goals was a major area for me to work on. But Danielson starts by
suggesting to assess need areas. I determined my goals on my specific needs and district needs
These goals properly assert this need principle. I stuck with just a few goals as Danielson
recommends between one and three (Danielson, 2008, pg. 60). Also, a teachers goal should be
rooted in instructional strategies rather than changing student performance directly. This is
another area I tried to focus my goals on. I made them measurable and focused on developing
myself professionally.
I try to explain the steps I would take to accomplish my goals in more detail this time
around as well. It is important to have a good plan to be successful in my goals. A professional
growth plan is a document that outlines the activities teachers will undertake in pursuing their
goals for professional growth (Danielson, 2008, pg. 63). This plan must then be carried out for
professional development to take place. This can sometimes become a difficult task with all the
work teachers must do, but I must stick to following through with each step as it comes my way.
Another area for improvement is the plan to meet portion. I never met with anyone to
share my successes or failures after my first PDP. However, I plan to do this this time around.
Danielson explains how meeting with colleagues is very important because it reinforces the
concept that every school has professional educators who know a lot about their practice
(Danielson, 2008, pg. 66). Overall, this is a better plan and will be effective in development.

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References and Resources

Danielson, C. (2008). The handbook for enhancing professional practice using the framework
for teaching in your school. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
East High School. (n.d.). National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from
http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/sch_info_popup.asp?Type=Public&ID=193048001714
Waterloo, Iowa. (n.d.). City-Data. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from http://www.city-
data.com/city/Waterloo-Iowa.html





















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Waterloo Community Schools
Individual Professional Development Plan


Teacher: ______Joseph Samuelson______ Date plan was developed:___July 11, 2014_________

Building: ____________East High_____________ Evaluator:___Mr. Pace

For school year: 2014-2015


SMART GOALS : Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

School Goals- Description of School and Teaching, Administrative, or Pupil Services Situation.






















Personal Goals







Rationale





How does this goal align with district initiatives, building initiatives and the Iowa Teaching
Standards and Criteria? There is a direct alignment as the district literacy goal is all
students in grades 3-8 and 11 will score proficient or higher in reading as measured by the
Iowa Assessments. Our building goal is listed above. Standard 1b aligns. This aligns with
district initiatives which are focusing on improving reading scores. Reading workshops have
been set up and have been given precedence in the school.
What is your building/team goal? Decrease the percentage of students that are non-
proficient in reading comprehension by 10% as measured by the Iowa Assessment.
Why did you choose to enhance your growth in this area? Why did you select this as a
need area? This goal is listed on our School Improvement Plan as a need area and I want to
increase my growth in this area in order to help our students be successful. The schools
standardized reading scores declined last year. We would like to see consistent growth from
year to year.
What is your personal/professional goal? 1) Complete Year 2 of Mentoring/Obtain
Standard Iowa License 2) Increase educational knowledge in administration by completing
classes at Chadron State College. 3) Take progressive steps to increase understanding of IB
standards and assessments.

Why did you choose to enhance your growth in this area? Why did you select this as a
need area? Completing mentorship is necessary for me to continue my career as a teacher
and renew my teaching license. It is also a goal of mine to be an administrator and
completing a masters degree in administration is necessary. Finally, since IB is new to the
district and myself, I will need further training to develop and carry through the curriculum.

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Plan for Assessing and Documenting the Goal





























Teacher Signature_______________________________________ Date________________

Evaluator Signature______________________________________ Date________________

(Signature indicates the evaluator and teacher have discussed the progress on the I TPDP)
What actions will you take to accomplish this professional growth? I will attend the
building professional development and implement the strategies in my classroom. I will
complete 3 masters classes during the school year and another next summer through
Chadron State College. I also complete all assignments and activities of the district
mentorship program as well as attend its classes and meetings. I will attend all IB meetings
and attend Category 2 training to understand IB standards and assessments for curriculum.
What supports do you need to accomplish this goal (time, access to training, collaboration
opportunities, materials, etc)? I need time to plan for use of IB strategies for my classroom
and also time for collaboration to help determine best practice in the implementation
phase. I will need to be sent to Category 2 training by the district and also resources and
support to ensure success in mentoring.
Identify the criteria for determining that this goal has been met (use measurable and
observable terms). I will successfully complete year two of mentoring and obtain my
standard Iowa license. I will also complete 12 credits by next school year and continue
working toward my masters. Finally, I will successfully complete Category 2 International
Baccalaureate training.
Progress Monitoring